Announcing our Expanding Partnership with Duquesne City School District!

Announcing our Expanding Partnership with Duquesne City School District!

A Joint Communication from Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania and Duquesne City School District

Dear Families,

It is hard to believe that many of us have not walked through the doors of our school and Duquesne-West Mifflin Clubhouse for almost two months now. We miss seeing your children each and every day and look forward to seeing them again in person. We are jointly writing to you today to share some exciting news. The Duquesne City School District and Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania (BGCWPA) are excited to announce our expanded partnership this summer and into next school year. This summer, BGCWPA will be running our K-2 summer camp program which will include both virtual and face to face drop-in time (this will only be permitted if we turn green as a county). Additionally, as you are aware, we are providing summer programming for grades 3-6 through Allegheny Intermediate Unit’s Waterfront Learning. These two programs will replace any face to face programming at the current Duquesne-West Mifflin Clubhouse. K-2 families can register on BGCWPA’s website ( www.bgcwpa.org ) beginning on May 25th. Registration for fall will open later this summer.

BGCWPA and Duquesne City School District understands now more than ever the delicate balance of caring for children to ensure safety, health and security while maintaining business operations in a responsible way so that we can continue to serve our members and beyond . COVID-19 has impacted the world in ways that no one anticipated, but we have worked tirelessly to act quickly to serve those who need us most. We have enjoyed seeing many of you as we served food daily and/or three days a week, delivered cleaning supplies, pizzas, chocolate eggs or more to your door steps or porch. We will continue to provide lunches this summer at the Duquesne-West Mifflin Clubhouse but there will be no separate summer camp located there.

In addition, BGCWPA and Duquesne City School District are expanding our partnership for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year and will shift all of our operations to the school building. This will allow us to not only serve double the amount of youth and now offer before care programming, but offer enhanced programs in robotics, art, health and fitness programs, use of a gymnasium and more. Students enrolled in charter and parochial schools are also welcomed to attend after school programming in the school. Additionally, BGCWPA will be facilitating the Healthy Lifestyles wellness program and re-launching and expanding our sports and recreation programming.

We want to thank each and every staff member at our existing Duquesne-West Mifflin Clubhouse for their years of support and programming for youth and the memories made in our current building. We are excited about this new Department of Human Services Licensed before and after school program that will run daily in the school building and be run by Boys & Girls Clubs of Western PA team members. This licensed model and expanded partnership allows BGCWPA to continue our mission to serve more children in a High Quality environment and will be free to no cost for almost all families.

With BGCWPA seeking licensure for these programs this means that we will be eligible to accept Child Care Works (CCW) funding, meaning that families will be invited to apply for government subsidy based on household income and work requirements. We will partner with the Early Learning Resource Center 5 in Allegheny County to answer all of your questions. This means that the cost for Before and After school care could be free to little copay allowing you to afford High Quality Care for your children. Families that require a small co-pay may apply for scholarship funding if there is financial need through BGCWPA’s financial aid process.

BGCWPA and the Duquesne City School District will work together to plan a safe and innovative programming for your child/ren in the coming months including a summer camp program for K-2 students, virtual mentoring programs as well as highly engaging Healthy Lifestyles, STEM and sports programs and more next school year. Be on the lookout for future communications about how to register or visit our website at www.bgcwpa.org.

We are excited for this partnership; everything we are doing is for the wellness and safety of our children and ability to offer a high-quality program to our learners.
Be well,
-Sue
Sue Moyer, M.Ed.
Superintendent
Duquesne City School District
-Lisa
Lisa Abel-Palmieri, PhD
President & CEO
Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania